Clayton Whittemore convicted in brutal beating death of college girlfriend

A New York 22-year-old was found guilty by a jury on Friday in the second-degree murder of his 17-year-old girlfriend back in 2012.

Defense attorneys for Clayton Whittemore argued for a first-degree manslaughter charge, but after only two hours of deliberating, the jury opted for the more serious second-degree charge, reports the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

His attorneys claimed that his poor childhood, where his father often abused him, should be considered as a factor in Alexandra Kogut's murder.

The former high school hockey star will be sentenced in July by state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Doyle and faces 25 years to life in prison.

Whittemore admitted to beating his girlfriend to death with both a curling iron and his fists while in a rage, according to the New York Daily News. "I killed my girlfriend," he had said. "I wasn't even drunk. I just snapped" during an argument between the couple.

District Attorney Sandra Doorley said, "This was one of the most brutal and violent murders I have seen in my career." During the trial she had argued before the jury that Whittemore had a violent history in previous relationships.

Kogut's friend, Paige Whitney, said after the trial, "Yes, justice has been served, but this does not bring back my friend."